Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambitions have taken a major blow with the official defection of two of his top campaigners in the Northeast.
WITHIN NIGERIA reports that Alhaji Jamilu Gwamna, the North East Coordinator of the Atiku Campaign Organization, and Charles Iliya, a former deputy governor of Gombe State, have all defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The two joined the ruling party and pledged their support for the APC’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Gwamna was also named state coordinator for the APC’s governorship and presidential campaigns in Gombe State.
Speaking with journalists Gwamna, who finished second in the PDP governorship primary in the state in May, said he saw no future for the party in the state owing to the crisis that followed the governorship primary, which was won by Jibrin Barde.
The PDP, according to the former gubernatorial candidate, was riddled with internal strife, poor leadership, disregard for the rule of law, and disunity.
He said his political ideology was anchored on unity, inclusiveness, fairness, and justice, and “if those are not found in the party then there is no reason to be in that camp.”
“In politics, internal democracy is very key and if you cannot find that playing out, then practicing democracy on a larger platform such as governing the state becomes a big issue.”
He claimed that the APC was better organized in Gombe than any other political party, and he urged his supporters to mobilize voters at the grassroots to ensure the APC’s victory at all levels.
Meanwhile, Iliya, the PDP’s strongman in Gombe South, was unveiled during the official launch of the APC presidential campaign and Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s re-election campaign.
WITHIN NIGERIA, Iliya served as deputy to former Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, who supports Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid.
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